VIP guests and customers were treated to a cocktail party and dinner, followed by a concert performance by Swiss pop star Baschi - who had arrived on a motorcycle created by British brand Norton, one of Breitling’s partner companies. A full-scale mock-up of a Breitling Jet Team aircraft (a height of 12.3 meters and a wingspan of 9.46 meters), in front of the boutique, attracted attention throughout the event.
Breitling CEO Georges Kern was joined at the opening event by an impressive roster of special guests, including former World Cup Alpine ski racer, Winter Olympic gold medalist, and pilot, Dominique Gisin, multiple Ironman champion and duathlon specialist Ronnie Schildknecht, celebrated Swiss chef René Schudel, Breitling Jet Team leader Jacques Bothelin, and members of the Swiss Air Force’s Patrouille Suisse elite aerobatic squadron. Breitling’s newest brand ambassador, internationally renowned model Ronja Furrer, was also in attendance.
Georges Kern introduced Breitling’s new industrial-loft point-of-sale concept in Zurich, one of the brand’s home towns: “Our redesigned boutiques respect Breitling’s long heritage, but they do so in a stylish, contemporary environment. It is essential, as a global brand, to have a significant presence in key cities around the world. We have already launched flagship boutiques in Beijing and London, and today we are opening our doors to a new generation of Breitling enthusiasts in the country where the company was founded in 1884.”
Along with Adrian Bindella, CEO of Zett-Meyer, Steven Biedert, Breitling’s Brand Manager in Switzerland, and the brand’s celebrity guests, Georges Kern cut the ribbon, officially opening the Breitling Boutique Zurich.
Redefining industrial-chic luxury, the boutique recalls the period when Breitling created some of the most admired tool watches ever made. With its striking decor, its bespoke furniture, and a select combination of vintage and modern elements, it offers a contemporary, urban interpretation of the spacious but intimate ambience of an exclusive industrial loft in a dynamic city.
The boutique’s interior space is divided over two floors. On the ground floor, Breitling’s watches are presented in vitrines and display cases whose design reflects the urban-loft ambience. These metal structures are reinterpretations of industrial shelves, and evoke an atmosphere that reflects air, land, and water, the three environments where Breitling watches have long distinguished themselves.Upstairs is a bar and lounge area.
At the event, the display cases in the boutique featured pieces from across the entire Breitling collection, with impressive displays for the iconic Navitimer 1, the new Navitimer 8, and the Superocean Héritage II, along with other specially selected watches and some of the brand’s vintage timepieces.
